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Digging Into Diner Culture
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items As a city denizen (and unabashed night owl), there's nothing I appreciate more than a diner: the unlimited coffee, massive menus, instantly recognizable dishware, and cases of pie and cakes…it's all such a comfort to me! This list is inspired by my l...
Sections
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Inspo
Tableware and Decor
Food
Inspo
Indulge in (and discover) true American diner culture with these essential Diner Films, insightful literary works, and handy (and thematically appropriate) cookbooks.
The Phoenicia Diner is a major draw for foodies in the Catskills, even serving as the fictional “Pips” diner in the Apple TV show Severance. They're known for their french toast, but all the food is majorly delicious, collected here in their cookbook...
The Phoenicia Diner Cookbook
The late David Lynch, maybe more than any other American filmmaker, was a huge fan of diners, doing a lot of work out of Bob's Big Boy in Burbank…so it's no surprise that diners feature heavily in his work, including in hit TV series Twin Peaks, in w...
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Everybody has their favorite regional diner, and the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, TX is one of my favorite spots to hit when I'm driving between Dallas and Austin. They're known for their pies, but I love just about all the food here (including ...
What's Cooking at Blue Bonnet Cafe Cookbook
In Barry Levinson's slice-of-like film debut, set in the 1950s, a group of former childhood friends meet-up over Christmas Break at the communal hub of a humble Baltimore diner in anticipation of their friend's marriage. The film was shot in a real d...
Diner (1982 film)
This book provides an overview history of the American diner, from its origins out of covered wagons in the late 19th century up to its retro-futurist incarnation in the 20th century that we've come to know and love. An added bonus to the history les...
American Diner: Then and Now
In this beloved (and undeniably sweet) dramedy from writer/director Adrienne Shelly, Keri Russell plays a waitress stuck working in a southern diner, where she is responsible for constructing elaborate, delicious-looking pies, meaning a ton of wonder...
Waitress (2007)
Sadly, Caesar’s, the real-life diner that acted as “Winkie’s Diner” in a pivotal scene in David Lynch's twisty aughts masterpiece, seems to have closed. But at least we have the film to memorialize the space, which is pretty much the platonic idea di...
Mulholland Drive (2001)
This thematically appropriate cookbook assembles recipes inspired by diner classics from around the country, including (my particular favorite) soda fountain syrup recipes!
The American Diner Cookbook
This sweet documentary is a love letter to the bygone "Automat," a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants (an early precursor to fast food restaurants) that served affordable, hot food through vending machine-like contraptions built into the wall. A re...
The Automat (2021)
Tableware and Decor
The iconic plateware and decorative motifs of a traditional diner landscape.
A super-cute, old-timey lookin' coffee maker for one!
Bodum Programmable 12-Cup Coffee Maker
Bistro-style plates are so chic, popular with more upscale eateries around these parts, but they always remind me of diners. These feel both classy and casual, depending on the setting.
International Tableware Verona Stoneware Plate with Green Bands
This adorable mug from Veselka, the world-famous East Village Ukranian diner in NYC, takes me right back to my college days, when I'd spend late nights arguing over everything and nothing with friends while loading up on pierogis after a late night o...
Veselka Coffee Mug
The best diners serve libations in red plastic tumblers, and as a Texan, these Dr. Pepper-themed ones (from the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco) satisfy my kitschy desires.
Dr Pepper Tumblers
What's a retro-themed diner without a little tabletop jukebox to play all your favorite oldies while you eat? When I was a kid and encountered these, I'd always shell out to hear my favorite song, “My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels.
Crosley Mini Bluetooth Jukebox
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Greek diners are the best, hands down, and the iconic “Anthora” coffee cup, so-named for its use of the Ancient Greek amphora motif and designed by Leslie Buck in 1963 specifically to market to Greek-owned coffee shops, remains the ultimate status sy...
The Original New York Coffee Cup
No diner is complete without a generic coffee print / poster to really establish the vibes of a casual dining space.
Soap Plant / Wacko Coffee Poster
No diner visit is complete without pie, and these beautiful pie pans inspire me to actually make the effort to whip up some of my own.
Deep-Dish Ceramic Pie Plate
These vintage postcards take me right back to Bob's Big Boy, that cult diner chain out of Burbank, and evoke the retro-diner style that I just love.
Bob's Big Boy Postcards
I can't even consider a milkshake unless it comes in an old-timey fountain shoppe-style glass like these cute ones from Libbey.
Libbey Fountain Shoppe Milkshake Glasses
Maine's oldest diner, the Palace Diner, also sells Maine's cutest mug: this mug! Located in an old railway car in Biddeford, the Palace Diner, which dates back to 1927, sports just 15-seats and serves a very simple menu of delicious-looking fare. The...
Palace Diner — Maine Mug
For when you absolutely, positively need a Belgian waffle with whipped cream and a cherry on top (i.e. literally any time).
Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker
Food
A (brief) sampling of the go-to tastes of the sprawling diner menu.
It doesn't get more Twin Peaks-y than imbibing in this “Damn Fine Coffee” courtesy Twede's (formerly the Mar-T Cafe of North Bend, WA), the real-life diner filming location for David Lynch's iconic television series, which stages several scenes at th...
Damn Fine Coffee — Twede's Cafe
For me, a hot cup of matzo ball soup is a must-have to start off any serious diner order. New York institution Carnegie Deli sells these pre-made batches of matzo ball soup claiming to be “better than bubbe's." I can't speak to that, but Carnegie Del...
Carnegie Deli x The Matzo Project: Better Than Bubbe's Matzo Ball Soup Kit
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“The” seasoning salt used at Bob's Big Boy, an iconic California diner chain known for their double-decker hamburger. Its Burbank location, beloved by filmmaker David Lynch, dates back to 1949.
Bob's Big Boy Seasoning Salt